Sunday in San Carlos

What used to take about 20 minutes at the border took 2 hours this morning. New importation rules for cars. Stand in line. Did you check this car out of Mexico when you left in May? No, the new rules were not in effect and I have an FM3 that allows me to come in and out without checking with immigration. Sorry, you have to go over there and check the car out. Done. Here are my documents. No, I need more records. Get records. No, I need copies of these records. Get copies. Finally we got new permits, put the sticker on the windshield, got through the aduana without setting off the alarm, and we were on our way by 10:15. We had left Tucson at 6:45 and made the first border check on the US side by 8 AM. Fortunately I had serious caffeine this morning and stayed awake through the entire ordeal.

As we were leaving I stepped into the ladies' and came in on the middle of a tale being told by a very distraught Mexican woman. She and her fellow travelers were accosted in the city of Culiacan, robbed and generally terrorized. This happened yesterday at 6 PM on the cuota (toll) route. That city has a very bad reputation and we never even slow down. Perps were disguised as cops. Not what I wanted to hear. We don't hit Culiacan until Tuesday morning. I'll be extra vigilant.

Now in San Carlos. The hotel is showing signs of serious neglect which is really too bad because it is in a prime location with gorgeous views. But I guess we all tend to get a little shabby over time. We hit the bar for hamburgers and the first Mexican beer of the season. Now it's time to unpack, go into town to get gas and bottled water ~ the hotel used to provide this but no longer ~ then perhaps a siesta or some reading. We'll go to the dining room this evening for some of their wonderful soup, then get a good night's sleep in preparation for the drive to Topolobampo.